Lawn mower



Oct. l1, 1949. l.. J..w|NcHELL 2,484,201

I LAWN MowER Filed May 28. 1947 l l; l y a l Attorneys Patented Oct. 11, V1949 UNITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE 'i .2,484,201 LAWN MoWER Laurence J. Winchell, Fort Scott, Kans. n A vApplication Mayas, 1947, serial No. 750,915

This invention relates to improvements in lawn mowers of the type disclosed in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,259,676, dated October 21, 1941, wherein there is provided a motor driven elongated cutting blade which rotates about a vertical axis beneath a wheeled platform. e

The primaryV object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved means .for mounting the shaft of the cutting blade so as to effectively vbrace the same in a truly vertical position Yand to provide for vertical adjustment thereof so asto vary the distance between the cutting blade and the ground and thereby regulate the height at which the grass or other growth ,iscut relative to the ground. VA further 'object of the invention is to provide the mower with an improved form of handle and means for vertically adjusting the rear or han'dbgrip portion thereof to suit the requirements of the particular person using the lawn mower.

A still further object is to provide an improved cutter shaft lubricating means.

And a nal object of the invention to be specifically enumerated herein, is to effect a dirt seal between thecutter blade assembly and the lower end of the vertical housing.

The exact nature of the present invention, as

well as more specific lobjects and features thereof, will become Iapparent from the following vdescription when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a lawn mower constructed in accordance with the present invention; Y

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section on the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an venlarged detail view similar to Figure 2 and in vertical section taken at a slight angle to Figure 2 in order to show more clearly the lubricating structure of a bearing assembly.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates a horizontal Velongated sheet metal platform which is stamped or pressed to have integral front wheel guards 6, depending side and end flanges 1, and an upwardly dished portion Ii `intermediate the ends and midway-between; the sides of the platform. The rear. end of the platform is Vsupported by co-axial rear wheels 9, while the front end of the platform is supported by co-aXial front wheels I9 as disclosed in my above-mentioned patent. Suitable guards for the rear wheelsV 9 are attached to opposite sides of the platform 5 as indicated at Il.

Welded or otherwise rigidly secured to Ytheunderside of platform 5 coincident with the upwardly dished portion 8 of the latter is a downwardly dished sheet metal disk I2 of a form and QI s Claims. (01.56-25.41)

size similar to the dished portion 8. The portion 8 and disk I2 have central vertically aligned openings through which extend a vertical supporting sl-eeve I3, the sleeve I3 snugly fitting the openings and being welded to the portion 8 and disk I2 as indicated at I4 and |44. The sleeve I3 is thus effectively braced in a truly vertical position so as to provide a rigid durable construction that effectvely resists displacement of the sleeve I3 from its truly vertical position. Snugly fitted in the lower portion of the sleeve I3 for vertical sliding adjustment therein is a second shorter sleeve I5 having a ball bearing I6 mounted in the lower shouldered portion thereof. A further ball bearing I1 is mounted in the upper shouldered end portion of the longer outer sleeve I3, and the latter is provided at a point between the bearing I'I and the upper end of sleeve I5 with a grease fitting I8 to facilitate the introduction of lubricant within said sleeves I3 and I5,` whereby to keep the bearings I6 and I'I eifectively lubricated in a manner to be set forth hereinafter.

A shaft I9 extends through the sleeves I3 and I5 and has the inner races of the bearings I6 and I'I secured thereon to turn therewith. Adjustably threaded on the upper end portion of shaft I9 is a nut member or collar 20 on which the inner race of the upper bearing I1 is secured as by a press fit. The collar 29 has apertures 2i for engagement by a suitable tool for holding the nut member 29 against turning, and whereby simultaneously rotating shaft I9, the latter may be vertically adjusted therein.

Secured on the projecting lower end of shaft I9 between a pair of clamping plates I 22 and 22, and whose adjacent surfaces are respectively concaved and convexed as shown in an exaggerated manner in Figure 2, by means of a clamping nut 23, is an elongated cutting blade 24. It will thus be seen that by adjusting shaft I9 vertically in the nut 29, the distance of the cutting blade 24 from the ground may be varied to cut the growth or grass at a selected height above the ground. The uppermost plate |22 is of sumcient diameter to overlap or cover and shield the lower end of sleeve I5 to prevent grass or dirt entering the bearing.

- Suitable grease retainers are provided at 25 within thetube I3 above bearing I'I and within the tube I5 below the bearing I6. These retainers are of identical construction and as shown in Figure 3, includes packing member 25, a washer l38 and a split retaining ring 39 seated in an annular groove in the two sleeves.

Adjustably threaded on the projecting upper portion of shaft I9 is a pulley 26 which may be screwed down upon the shaft until it abuts the collar 29 and acts as a lock nut therefor. When so locked, the pulley becomes a driving means for rotating the shaft. By unscrewing the pulley, the collar 2D is released and the shaft is free to rotate relative to the supporting collar. A suitable knob or handle 28 is removably secured upon the upper end of shaft IS for use in turning the latter when effecting its vertical adjustment, the pulley being released as above mentioned. An endless belt 29 passes around the pulley 26 and also around a pulley 30 secured on the drive shaft of a motor or engine 3| which is mounted 0n the rear portion of platform 5. Thus, the motor or engine 3| is used to drive the cutting blade 24 while the lawn mower is pushed ahead during the mowing operation. Such motor or engine may be suitably controlled to regulate the speed of rotation of the cutting blade whilethe mower is in use. The cutting blade 2s is provided with suitable cutting edges at opposite sides of opposite ends thereof, and it is preferably of slightly upwardly bowed form as shown, this flexing or bowing of the blade being assisted by the above describedconcave and convex surface of the nuts |22 and 22.

AnY upwardly and rearwardly extending handlebar assembly 32 of any suitable construction and forming no part of the invention as claimed, is attached to the platform adjacent each side of the latter, and the handle-bar assembly is connected to the rear end of the platform .5 by means of a brace s3 of any desired type. The handlebar assembly has a downwardly directed forward end portion 3d which is bolted through the plat form as at 35 in front of the rear wheels 9.

Assuming that the cutting blade 2a is in the raised position shown in the drawing, and that it is desired to adjust the same downwardly, the pulley 2t is adjusted upwardly by rotating the same while holding the shaft I9' stationary thereby releasing the collar 20- for rotation on shaft I9. A suitable tool is inserted through an aperture llt of sleeve i3 and engaged in bores 2l of collar 29 to secure the latter against rotation; The shaft I9 is then rotated relative to nut member or collar 20 so as to adjust the shaft i9 downward-ly tothe required distance. The pulley 26 is then tightened into locking engagement With collar 2i) so that the cutting blade is maintained in the required adjusted position relative to the ground. A reversal of this operation will of course effect a desired elevation of the cutter 24 from a lowered adjusted position.

As shown best in Figure 3` the sleeve I3 has an internal shoulder 4I upon which the outer race of bearing l1 seats and is retained by the engagement of the sealing means above set forth. A plate 42 preferably of' aluminum or the like is snugly fitted in the bore of sleeve i3 immediately below the bearing I1, and has an enlarged central opening 45 loosely Surrounding shaft 19in spaced relation thereto.

The plate 42 has an internally threaded bore 43 which receives the threaded end of the grease fitting i8, thereby securing the plate in position. An upwardly inclined passage sa intersects passage 43 thereby establishing communication between the tting la and the space between the baille or plate 62 and the bearing.

Grease supplied to ntting lai therefore is first applied to upper bearing il and thence is supplied by hole `115 to the lower bearing.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages .4 of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minor changes are contemplated such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim isz. 1. A lawn mower comprising a platform having Y supporting wheels, complementary upwardly and downwardly dished centrally apertured portions on said platform, a sleeve secured to each of the said portions and extending through the apertures thereof, a vertical shaft extending through said4 sleeve and having a cutting blade secured to the lower end thereof beneath said platform, means for rotating said shaft, means for journalling said shaft in said sleeve. v b

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said shaft has its lower portion journalled in an inner sleeve slidablyl received in said first sleeve.

3. The combination of Vclaim 2 wherein said innerl sleeve'extends through that portion of the first mentioned sleeve which is received between the central aperturesof the complementary portions.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said Y last means comprises a bearing fixedly positioned in the upper end of said sleeve, said shaft being journaled in said bearing and slidable therein for vertical adjustment. y 1 y 5'. 'The combination o f claim 1 wherein said last means comprises a bearing xedly positioned in they upper end of said sleeve, said shaft being journaled in said bearing, and slidable therein for vertical adjustment, an inner sleeve slidable in said first mentioned. sleeve,4 a bearing flxedly po Sitioned in the lowerend of the inner sleeve, said shaft having its lower4 end secured to said last mentioned bearing.

Y 6.Y Alawn mower comprising a platform having supporting wheels,.said platform having an. apertured portion, a frusto-conical member secured to said platform andhaving an opening spaced verticallyfrorn the aperture, a vertical sleeve secured to'said platform and said member and extending through theaperture and opening, a vertical' shaft rotatably journaled in the sleeve and having a cutting blade secured to the shaft beneath the platform, means for rotating the shaftand blade. 7'. The combination of claim 6 including a second sleeve, slidably vcarriedby the rstfmentioned sleeve for vertical movement relative thereto, a bearing in` each of said sleeves, said shaft beingijournaled in said bearings.

8. The combination of. claimt including asecond sleeve slidably journaled. for vertical movement in the rst-mentionedsleeve, a pair of bearings xedly secured,` one in each of said sleeves. atopposite ends thereof, said shaft` being jour naled-insaidbearings.. f

LAURENCE J. WINCHELL.

REFERENCES errno The following; references are of record in the file ofrthispatent'z' i oNrrED sTATEsPA'rEN'rs Number vName Y Date 1,622,611. Sera- Mar; 29, 192.7 364,449 Delaval-Crow- July 4, 1939 l22.23.3457" Pope eta-1.v Nov. 12, 1940- 2,259,676 Winchell '.........-..'-Y.-- Oct; 21; 1941 2,329,185- Coddington Sept; 14; 1943 

